1 O how holy is this place
Where the Lord a house hath given!
Here we come before His face;
This must be the gate of heaven.
Here His Word proclaims His grace.
O how holy is this place!
2 Thousand thanks, great God, arise
Unto Thee, in grace excelling.
Who, though filling all the skies,
Yet dost make this house Thy dwelling,
And to us dost here dispense
Thy pure Word and Sacraments.
3 Hitherto upon this house
Hath salvation surely rested.
Here our God hath been with us,
And Himself hath manifested.
Here His Spirit He hath giv'n
To reveal the way to heav'n.
4 O how lovely, meet and right
In His temple to adore Him!
Let us now in Him delight,
And with gladness come before Him.
Treasures lasting, precious, pure,
From above we here secure.
5 Dearest Guest, with us abide,
With Thy holy Word still feed us;
Hitherto by Thee supplied,
Still by living waters lead us!
Keep Thy Church on earth secure
While the earth itself endure.
Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #28
Schmolck, Benjamin, son of Martin Schmolck, or Schmolcke, Lutheran pastor at Brauchitschdorf (now Chrόstnik) near Liegnitz in Silesia (now Poland) was born at Brauchitschdorf, Dec. 21, 1672. He entered the Gymnasium at Lauban in 1688, and spent five years there. After his return home he preached for his father a sermon which so struck the patron of the living that he made Benjamin an allowance for three years to enable him to study theology. He matriculated, at Michaelmas, 1693, at the University of Leipzig, where he came under the influence of J. Olearius, J. B. Carpzov, and others, and throughout his life retained the character of their teaching, viz. a warm and living practical Christianity, but Churchly in tone and not Pietistic. In th… Go to person page >
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